In his first-ever interview, the sole Australian survivor of the Waco siege has revealed to 60 Minutes what really took place during the 51-day stand-off, and why he believes crazed cult leader David Koresh will one day return to Earth as the son of God.

NT govt won't pay costs in Don Dale suit

The Northern Territory government will not have to pay some court costs of a civil lawsuit filed by a group of former Don Dale Youth Detention Centre inmates who were tear-gassed.

Four teenagers from Darwin's youth prison were last week awarded $53,000 in compensation after they were spit-hooded and shackled, but the judge ruled tear-gassing them was both "reasonable and necessary".

The boys, who cannot be named, sued the NT government over their August 2014 treatment, arguing it amounted to assault and battery, however Justice Judith Kelly found mostly in favour of the defendant.

In the NT Supreme Court on Thursday, Master Vince Luppino also dismissed the plaintiffs' application for court costs of a settlement conference.

In November 2015, the NT government rejected the plaintiffs' offer of a $95,000 settlement plus court costs and made no counter offer, so the matter proceeded to court.

Master Luppino said the government had a "very strong defence" and isn't compelled to make an offer where it considers its opponent's position as "unlikely to succeed or having little merit".

Lawyers for the former inmates were only successful in one claim, and last week Justice Kelly ordered the government to pay three of the boys $12,000 each in damages, while the fourth received $17,000.

They were among six teens who were gassed after one inmate, Jake Roper, escaped from his solitary confinement cell and began trashing an exercise yard.

Justice Kelly did not award damages for the use of gas, police dogs or guards in riot gear as she ruled they were reasonable and necessary to "temporarily incapacitate Jake Roper and so bring the crisis to a close before it escalated even further".

Five of the six boys had been held in isolation for up to 17 days straight after earlier escaping from the centre.

In handycam footage captured moments before the gas was sprayed, one guard can be heard saying, "I'll pulverise the little f*****."

Footage of the incident was aired on national television last year, prompting Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to call a royal commission into the juvenile justice system.

The detainees were later transferred to Berrimah adult prison and subjected to "acts of battery", Justice Kelly said.

"In addition to handcuffing the plaintiffs behind rather than in front, the defendant wrongfully applied shackles and a spit hood to each plaintiff," she said.

"I have no doubt that this would have caused the plaintiffs considerable distress and humiliation, especially as youths being marched past adult prisoners."

But Justice Kelly said the guards' conduct was not "knowingly malicious, violent, cruel... an abuse of power or indeed knowingly wrongful at all".